How Can Educators Help to Develop Law-Abiding Citizens?

What do you think our American publiceducationsystem can do to help develop more law abiding citizens; thereby, reducing criminal and/or terrorist oriented threats? What potential grade school classes might work to decrease criminal RISK in our young people?

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In my opinion, the best way for American schools to produce solid, productive citizens is to invest in early childhood education. This means that high-quality public kindergartens should be available for 3.4 and 5-year-old children in every state in the nation. Studies have shown that low-income children who were enrolled in quality early childhood programs have grown up to have higher rates of high school graduation and lower rates of arrests as both juveniles and adults.

A high-quality early childhood program is one that integrates academic learning with social, emotional and physical learning. The arts, including music, dance, drama and visual arts are included in the curriculum along with math, science and literacy. Children who are enrolled in high-quality early childhood programs learn to respect their classmates and, more importantly, to respect themselves.

In the United States, the main organization that oversees the quality of child care centers is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC provides accreditation for high quality child care centers. The accreditation is based on ten standards, which include hundreds of criteria. Although public schools are not subject to these standards, looking at the ...

Solution Summary

In this answer I discuss my opinion about how the educational system can best help to develop strong citizens. This answer focuses on young children, so it may not be appropriate for students studying to teach older grade levels. I back up my answer with information from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as well as several other sources.